Selfies are Stupid! Period, end of story. Even the term is silly and childish. Perhaps if you’re 20-years-old, selfies seem cool but if you’re over 30, they shouldn’t. Here are my reasons.
1) Before cameras with front facing lenses existed, people took pictures of their vacations. Perhaps it required asking someone to take the photo but there was no lack of kind people who were and still are, willing to take a photo of you and your significant other, if asked. Most photos are still content based whether they are of mountains or the ocean because let’s face it, most people aren’t as interesting as the places they visit.
2) Are we so desperate for attention that we need to take photos of ourselves and then post them on every site that one frequents? Communication is about give and take. Selfies are only about take. I’m sure there’s some psychologist out there doing research on this selfie phenomenon. And it’s not just because the technology now exists and didn’t previously. Twenty five years ago I took my camcorder down one of the toughest trails in the northeast so I could show it to friends and family who will never be able to have that experience. It was a one time thing. So this is not a new idea. Even I thought of it. And I certainly wouldn’t post it on line, though the technology of today would allow me to do so.
3) Finally and most importantly, people have become so concerned with taking selfies that they fail to simply enjoy the moment. Enjoy The Experience!! Diving in the ocean, surfing, skiing, and sailing, to name just a few activities, should be about how it makes you feel, NOT about capturing it on photos or video. Although there is a time and place for that. I feel badly for those who miss that point. The idea of holding a GoPro attached to a stick that I’m holding in my hand when skiing, is absolutely repugnant to me. That experience is about freedom, speed, adrenaline and beauty. Living in the moment.
So what is the motive behind this silly craze? It’s about showing off. Showing how great one is, what a great time he or she is having, and what a great life they have compared to everyone else. Everyone wants to be seen and heard. It’s not about content, it’s about notoriety. It’s not about sharing with the world, it’s about self praise and being self-centered, two terrible traits. But what it’s really about is what’s lacking inside. People who know what they have, appreciate what they have and truly enjoy what they have, don’t need to share it with strangers.
Hopefully this will pass as do most fads. Eventually they got tired and boring and die out from a lack of interest. I look forward to that.
CJujitsu.com 
Pictures have always been about showing off, however it is now being done on a grander scale. Now it’s not just the neighbour’s Irene you show your fabulous travel photos to, it’s the entire world. And there is some sense in that; the employers are beginning to see it as a benefit of having employees with hundreds of followers, showing off their hobbies and interests. Being influential is seen as something worth their money. You can think of it as a kind of resumé. If you don’t have one, you may have it tough.
You are a bit wrong about technology. Now that people can take as many photos without wasting any film, they can continue taking selfies until the desired outcome is reached. Go back a a couple of decades and your main concern was whether you have red eyes. Now you want to make sure you look at least as photogenic as everyone else does.